Jimmy Gurule was quoted in the U.S. News & World Report article Iraqi Christians Form Anti-ISIS Militia, and You Can Legally Fund Them on February 6, 2015

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

2-6-2015

Abstract

Jimmy Gurule was quoted in the U.S. News & World Report article Iraqi Christians Form Anti-ISIS Militia, and You Can Legally Fund Them on February 6

Notre Dame Law School professor Jimmy Gurule says Americans sometimes are prosecuted for giving to groups that are not designated foreign terrorist organizations under a law against donating money with the intent or knowledge the funds will be used to commit crimes such as kidnapping and murder.

Gurule, a terrorist finance expert who worked as the Treasury Department’s under secretary for enforcement in the early 2000s, says such prosecutions are rare and typically happen when there’s evidence money was given to particularly odious actors with the clear intent to kill civilians.

If money was given with the intent to kill Islamic State group members, Gurule says, “arguably that might fall within the literal meaning of the statute, but I’d be really surprised if the Department of Justice decided to take on such a case.”

“Realistically,” he says, “I would be very surprised if there would be any criminal prosecutions.”

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